Anyone have opinions on air lockers!?
And does a wrangler have 2 specific power wheels in 4 wheel drive?
If so, which ones?
Thanks

GrnTJ

12-01-2008 10:46 AM

Air locker: I absolutley love my ARB's. I would deff. suggest those.
When in 4WD the 2 main drive tires will always be the ones with the least amount of resistence be exerted on them. This can be seen while off road when your stuck in mud and only one tire is spinning without any traction. A locker obviously lock's the wheels together so that they both must spin at all times.

Face

12-01-2008 11:15 AM

I've heard great things about the ARBs. If you get the right compressor you can use it to air up your tires, also.

Currently I'm looking at electric lockers just so I don't have to run/worry about air lines. No decision has been made but I'm working on it.

jpdocdave

12-01-2008 11:19 AM

i'm curious about electric lockers myself. i might go that route, i like the way it says they work. i'm wondering why people don't like them as much as air. is everyone just scared of electrical and wiring?

GrnTJ

12-01-2008 11:45 AM

Dont know, Id use em' but Im kinda already commited now. And I gotta say, I have never once even slightly second guessed running these.

Jerry Bransford

12-01-2008 11:45 AM

The first electric locker called the Electrac from Detroit Locker proved unreliable and gave electric lockers a bad reputation. Though it was built around the very good Detroit Truetrac, the Electrac wasn't up to hard wheeling and it had a high failure rate. Plus it had a very exposed external mechanism that was vulnerable to damage by rocks etc.

Then the ECTED electric locker came out from Auburn and I hear a lot of good things about it. I know a couple guys that have run them for a while with very good reports on them.

Personally, I'd go with an ARB Air Locker just because it is so well proven on the very toughest trails and totally reliable... at least as much as the installer who installs it. Properly installed with the air line properly routed where it won't get snagged, they are pretty much bulletproof.

One thing not to worry about Face are the ARB's air lines. Do your brake lines or electrical wires get snagged on the trail? Of course not, because they are properly routed. One more point... the ARB's air compressor (even their latest higher volume model) shouldn't be thought of as a good source of air for refilling your tires. It is designed for energizing the locker which requires almost no volume of air, just pressure, so it would take a long time to refill four tires. Plus it wasn't designed to have a long duty cycle so it would burn up if used repeatedly for long sessions of airing up big tires. And even their later higher volume air compressor that is more (!) suitable for airing up tires wouldn't be my first choice for that job as it still isn't a very fast compressor. :)

GrnTJ

12-01-2008 11:55 AM

Another thing to speak for the ARB's durability. I recently blew my entire rear axle apart on a long trip home (MI) from a wheeling trip in KY. Im not sure exactly what the culprit of the detonation was but due to the extremely annoying and loud screeching of my pinion bearing (it started doing this about half way home and I knew my pinion bearing was toast but I had no choice but to continue driving home and wish for the best because I had to be home that night and I didnt have the $$/time to have it fixed on the spot) I suspect that I must have been low on diff fluid and the bearing was not being properly lubricated. Anyway, long story short, I had to have my entire rear axle rebuilt (new R&P, bearings, everything). The ONLY thing that survived without so much as a scratch was my ARB. The internal copper line that goes to the collar to actuate the locker had to be replaced because it got broken off but that was it. I thought for sure it would be toast and I was so sad but I thank my lucky stars they were built like a tank.

DUCKIT

12-01-2008 12:11 PM

"ARB" front and rear................ with no regrets :D

flattietj

12-01-2008 12:29 PM

i also think the arbs are great lockers....i personally dont run them b/c my rig is trail only with occasional trail head to trail head road driving........ my opinions are that if you are going to have a multipurpose trail/street rig that the arbs are the best built and most reliable locker you can buy. if it will be trail only i would look into running a detroit locker or for that matter run a detroit in the rear and an arb up front......the detroit will release enough to allow for decent road manners and will be less prone to failure.

BILLG

12-01-2008 01:42 PM

I am running an Arb in the front d30 and a power trax in the rear 8.8.Works great on the trail and street.

Jerry Bransford

12-01-2008 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BILLG
(Post 287741)

I am running an Arb in the front d30 and a power trax in the rear 8.8.Works great on the trail and street.

A Powertrax what? Powertrax makes both the No-Slip and Lockright. :)

BILLG

12-01-2008 03:12 PM

Sorry Jerry its the no slip and so far it works great.Over the past year I have upgraded from Detroit Tru tracs F+R and also installed an 8.8 with alot of help from my friends.

Jerry Bransford

12-01-2008 03:54 PM

The No-Slip is a nice smooth operating lunchbox locker isn't it Bill. Mine has been in my front axle for years now and in 2wd, you'd never know it was there. :thumbsup:

BILLG

12-01-2008 04:46 PM

Jerry you are right it is hardley noticeable on the street.I highly reccomend them.